The San Joaquin Valley - The World’s Most Productive Farmland.

Fresno County is home to 1.88 million acres of the world’s most productive farmland.

Valley's Gold - The Economic Engine That Drives Our Region

Valley’s Gold is a weekly series that presents a behind-the-scenes look at the economic engine that drives our region, agriculture.

Valley's Gold

Valley’s Gold is a weekly series that presents a behind-the-scenes look at the economic engine that drives our region, agriculture. The show will air on Wednesday at 7pm and will re-broadcast each weekend on Saturday at 6:30pm and Sunday at noon.

Try this recipe for Real California Roll Salad with Dynamite Dressing from KC the G-Free Foodie. You can double or triple the recipe for a platter that serves 3-5.

I love sushi, and wanted to find an easy recipe to enjoy the flavors at home without becoming trained as a sushi chef – so I developed this Real California Roll Salad recipe, complete with Dynamite Dressing. I call it “real” because I use real crab – most fake crab roll has gluten – and fresh produce. I also use real picked ginger – not that funky stuff that’s been dyed hot pink.

I shared this dish with Ryan Jacobsen, host of Valley’s Gold on PBS, in the Whole Foods Market kitchen for the rice episode of his show, and he loves it too! Ryan doesn’t like his food quite as spicy as I do, so I used about half of the wasabi powder I normally use. Feel free to play around with the dynamite dressing recipe – you can always use more or less of the wasabi and sriracha to suit your taste. The dressing isn’t just great on Real California Roll salad, it’s great for other salads, paired with shrimp, or as a glaze for roasted salmon.

Directions

Place the rice on the center of a plate. Top the rice with the crab meat, and arrange avocado, cucumber, seaweed and ginger around the rice. Top the salad with sesame seeds and chives, serve with Dynamite dressing. Enjoy.

Place butter in medium pan on medium low heat
and allow to brown ( about 7 to 10 minutes )

While butter is browning, prepare apples. Place sliced apples in medium bowl and toss with the lemon juice. Add 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon, toss to coat.

Place apples into a 9”x13” buttered baking dish and set aside.

Keep eye on butter!

In another medium bowl sift together flour and salt, set aside.

When butter is browned, pour into a large bowl making sure to scrape out all
of the brown bits. Whisk in the 1lb. sugar and let cool slightly. Quickly whisk
in 1 egg at a time making sure not to let eggs scramble.

Sift the flour and salt into the butter and eggs mixture a little at a time until
all incorporated and smooth.

Pour batter over apples, spread evenly and top with cinnamon sugar.
Cover with foil and bake at 275 degrees for 30 minutes.

Uncover and bake for 15-20 minutes more until batter is firm and toothpick
inserted to batter comes out clean.
Cooking times may vary depending on oven.

Wash the potatoes. Peel and diced them into smaller pieces. Place the potatoes in boiling water and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Roast the garlic cloves in olive oil for 15 minutes in medium heat and drain the oil. Transfer the potatoes and garlic to a bowl. Mash with a fork and add butter, milk, salt and pepper.

Clean and peel the beet. Try to round the sides. Slice thin with a mandolin. Dip them in flour and fry them in olive oil 1 min each sides in medium heat. Set them aside on a paper towel.

Using a sharp knife, score the duck breasts with 3 long cuts, diagonally. Repeat crossways to form a grid pattern. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.4. Place a frying pan on a medium heat, immediately add the duck breasts, skin side down, and after 2 minutes turn the heat down to low. Continue to cook for 10–15 minutes or until the skin is crisp. Increase the heat to medium and turn over the duck breasts. Cook for 4–6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the breasts and how cooked you like the duck, then turn off the heat and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.5. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Add 2–3 tablespoons of the duck fat to a frying pan and place on a medium heat. Tip in the shallots and cook for 5 minutes or until softened but not browned, then stir in the jelly and vinegar. Allow to bubble and reduce for 3–5 minutes or until the mixture is syrupy in consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Diced small the chives and garlic and mix with the goat cheese, salt and pepper. Cut the figs half way and add the seasoned goat cheese in the middle. Bake for 5 min.7. Place the mash potatoes on the plate with the beet on top. Add the stuffed fig and slice the duck breast and drizzled with the sauce. Garnish with fresh red currant and thyme.

Pour batter evenly into pans and bake @350 for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle come out clean. Let cool slightly and run a small knife around edges to loosen cake from
pan. Flip cakes out onto a cooling rack. When room temperature, wrap cakes in plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.